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)
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“R I S C”
$$$ Cash incentives to professional towing and recovery companies that can quickly respond and clear incidents involving:
• Large commercial vehicles
• Large non-commercial vehicles such as RV’s or large marine vessels in transport .

RISC Scene

RISC Scene

• Quick Clearance = Reduction of exposure to responders
• Quick Clearance = Reduction in traffic queue congestion
• Quick Clearance = Reduction in secondary crashes
R I S C

• Overview of the RISC program
• Identify RISC communications procedures
• Indentify responsibilities during RISC response
• Identify financial incentive bonus categories
• Identify RISC implementation scenarios

FHP Troop K and FDOT
Year
2004
2005
2006
Minutes
177
144
150

Year
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
No. of RISC
Responses
60 Min.
Arrival
90 Min.
Clearance
Not Used
19
88
47
104
74
19
74
42
89
66
17
83
41
93
66
4
6
2
6
6

2007
Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) RISC contractor made the 90minute clearance time 93 out of the 98 times a Notice To Proceed was granted, yielding a 95% success rate . Six times the RISC contractor arrived on scene, but was not needed to clear the lanes.
2008
Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) RISC contractor made the 90minute clearance time of 66 out of the 68 times notice to proceed was granted, yielding a 97% success rate . Six times the RISC contractor arrived on scene, but was not needed to clear the lanes.

R I S C
2009 16.8
2008 21.0
2007
2006
2005
2004
31.0
25.7
26.8
34.2
RISC Results - Total Duration
44.3
7.0
52.4
120.5 min
46.1
47.9
43.4
45.1
40.9
16.4
31.0
14.9
23.6
43.9
45.4
55.0
44.2
49.5
127.4 min
146.7 min
149.6 min
141.9 min
56.1
176.6 min
0 50 100 150
Activate 1st Wrecker Arrival NTP Clearance
200

Purpose
• Safely & quickly remove major incidents from the highway with a goal of resuming normal, safe traffic operations as quickly as possible.
• Reduce the potential risk of secondary crashes
Scope
• RISC is only activated on limited access highways at this time per contract language ( i.e. I-75, I-275, interchanges)
• RISC is activated when the vendor can ‘rapidly’ open the road using ultra-heavy-duty equipment
• Incidents involving large vehicles should NOT automatically trigger RISC

• Standardizes vendor response requirements
• Pre-identify available equipment and vendors
• Cash incentives for safe, quick & efficient work
• Limited vendors have specialized equipment to right and remove a large, over-turned vehicle
• Delayed wrecker arrival times or inadequate types of equipment often leads to increased traffic delays and greater risk of secondary collision
• Proven results … aligned with TIM Team strategy

• Funded for 2 years with $2 million per year and then will be evaluated for continual funding
• Only used for incidents on limited access facilities such as the Interstate or incidents closing the
Interstate
• Exit ramps and entrance ramps, and interchanges are included, if incident significantly impacts travel on the main line.

1. One 50-Ton hydraulic, extendable, fixed boom, ultraheavy duty recovery wrecker (100,000 lbs. rating)
• under reach tow unit with a capacity of 50,000 lbs.
2. One 35 ton capacity heavy duty type wrecker
• Mobile cranes are allowed if equipped for crash recovery
One of these units must be a Rotator type wrecker.

3. Support vehicle with enclosed or utility body (or trailer)
• Roof mounted DOT approved arrow board
• stocked with traffic control devices
( signs, sign stands and cones etc .)
4. Heavy-duty skid steer loader with bucket, broom, and fork attachments. ( considered as extra equipment )

• Additional Trucks & Heavy Equipment Requirements
 1 Tandem axle tractor with a sliding fifth wheel
 1 Rubber tired, articulated, heavy construction end loader with a minimum 2 yard bucket
• A Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) Contractor to provide & set up FDOT compliant work zone traffic controls including a Worksite Traffic Supervisor.

• A Disposal Company that can deliver dumpsters or hoppers for crash debris, fire debris and/or spilled nonhazardous cargo to the scene of an incident.
• A Vacuum /Suction Service for off loading or recovering spilled grains, powders, plastic pellets, etc

– A Trucking or Transport company that can provide dump, refrigerator or flat bed trucks and trailers.
– A Construction Crane Rental Company - 50 ton or larger mobile cranes.
– A source of bulk sand available 24 / 7

– 1 Tilt bed, hydraulic, lowboy semi-trailer
• Landoll or equivalent
• with a 35 ton capacity, 48 ft. bed
• and a 20,000 lb. winch with 75 ft. of 5/8” cable

• 2 or more qualified contractors in an area
• Rotation system to maintain fairness to the contractors.
• FHP or the TMC will manage the rotation list.
• If there is only one vendor for an area and the vendor is unable to respond because of another incident; the next closet qualified vendor will be requested.

• FHP Fort Myers Regional Communications
Center is responsible for tracking incident times.
– FDOT will take on responsibility when TMC is open
• FHP Dispatch will communicate as much information about the incident to the contractor
– Location
– vehicle types
– CVO details
- Scene description
- load information
- scene access information

State-wide program performance measurement
•Incident occurrence time detected
•Usually a 911 call transferred to *FHP
•Incident verification
•Usually a Road Ranger or Trooper on-scene
•Incident cleared
•Usually a Trooper on-scene

Key Times for Incentive Payment
•Notification to vendor of request to activate RISC
• 15 minutes to respond by phone and confirm RISC activation
•Vendor arrival on scene
• 60 minutes to arrive on scene with 2 wreckers and MOT
•Notice to Proceed given
• 90 minutes to clear all lanes “Open Roads Policy”
•Incident Scene completely cleared

• Maintain adequate communications equipment
• Maintain 24 hour contact information to dispatch centers / TMC personnel
• FDOT & FHP not responsible for lost work activities due to:
• malfunctioning cell phones
• outdated contact information
• outdated Point of Contacts

•Tractor Trailer Combinations & trucks 16,000 lbs.+
•Rollover blocking 1 or more travel lanes
•Multiple truck crash
•Lost load on / or affecting the travel lanes
•Load shifted on or affecting a travel lane
•Lost tandems or split trailer on or affecting a travel lane
•Truck fire with tires burned off or cargo spilled
•Major impact with or on top of:
• barrier wall
•guard rail
•bridge support

Guidelines for possible RISC activation
•Motor Homes* & Motor Coaches and Busses (16 + passengers)
•Rollover blocking 1 or more travel lanes
•Fire with tires burned off or burned debris on the roadway
•Major impact with or on top of:
•barrier wall
•guard rail
•bridge support
•Aircraft
•Any incident affecting the travel lanes
•Large yacht type boats
Note: any complex or extended incident where vehicles are not easily towed from the scene or are creating a traffic hazard may be candidates for using the “Vendor” as directed by the District.
*Includes but not limited to Mobile Homes, Modular Homes, or Modular Buildings

Incident Location
• Is the incident near or in a Major City?
• Is the incident at or near Major interstate interchange?
• Are viable alternate routes available?
Time of Incident occurrence
• Did the incident occur at or near rush hour periods?
• Is there a special event planned or occurring?
• Is it a holiday weekend ?
Condition of vehicle
• Are the tires burned off?
• Is the vehicle upright?
• Has the vehicle lost its load?

RISC Scene
I-75 Northbound before I-4
Flatbed with Caterpillar equipment overturned blocking
3 lanes
Response time: 12 minutes
Clearance Time: 22 minutes
Total lane closure time: 50 minutes

RISC Scene

RISC Scene

• In most instances, FHP or local law enforcement will control the scene
• Consider best placements for response vehicles
• Establish MOT with available resources
• Consider alternate routes / detours
• Activate ITS for advance traveler warning - FDOT
• Note times and number of lanes impacted
• Note potential HAZMAT situations
• Consider need for RISC activation

• FHP or FDOT decides to activate RISC
• 60 minute clock for $600 incentive begins
• If RISC is activated and arrives on scene within 60 minutes they receive $600 arrival incentive; unless given
Notice to Proceed.
•
No time window between arrival of vendor and Notice to
Proceed
• Responsible party may request their own towing service
• If the requested service provider can arrive and clear the scene in an expedited manner, they are allowed to do so.
• FHP or FDOT may stop work & direct the removal of a non-RISC vendor if vendor is unable to properly handle the incident and RISC vendor will be given Notice to Proceed.

• Notice to proceed:
• Investigating law enforcement or FDOT permits incident clearance activities to begin
– contractor has 90 minutes to clear the travel lanes and/or shoulders
– After 90 minutes, contractor looses the incentive but not assessed liquidated damages.
– After 180 minutes contractor assessed liquidated damages
• Incident cleared
• All evidence of the incident is removed from the roadway and shoulders.

– RISC clearance activities halted by a responding agency official (Fire, FHP, FDEP, FDOT…etc)
– Time is considered frozen until the situation that forced the stoppage is resolved.
– Vendor is allowed time to re-establish equipment positioning if needed, otherwise the 90 minute clock will start again from where it was originally stopped.

• Vendor has not completed removal and clearance of vehicles, non-hazardous cargo, debris and vehicle fluids
180 minutes after Notice to Proceed
• All travel lanes and/or shoulders are not open
– flat rate of $600 is assessed against the Vendor at the discretion of the authorized FDOT representative
– Additional $600 assessed for each additional hour
– or $10 per minute until roadway is completely open to traffic
• Exceptions:
– Hazardous Material cargo
– damage to the roadway infrastructure which prohibits reopening the travel lanes

Non-cargo hazardous materials/vehicle fluids
•Use State of Florida Incident Vehicle Spill guidelines
• Materials included in guidelines are: oil, transmission fluid, diesel fuel /gasoline, anti-freeze and brake fluid.
•Clean-up of these materials can be handled by on scene personnel.
Hazardous Materials Cargo
• Require specialized response activities including: protective gear, special handling precautions, additional protective measures including evacuations.
• Incident is likely to require significant time to clear
• RISC vendors are not HAZMAT clean-up contractors.

• Request when:
– Vehicle loses its load
• Unless load can be replaced onto original trailer
– Vehicle not capable of normal towing, once righted
– vendor needs extra equipment to prevent further roadway damage
– there is significant crash debris
• Contractor receives $600 incentive when FDOT or FHP requests additional equipment and the equipment arrives on scene.
• Once equipment is utilized in the response, the incentive payment is increased to $1000

– Contractor invoices
– Event timeline
– Crash report from Law Enforcement Agency
– Crash case number
– Digital Photographs from contractor

• contractors incentives
• FDOT will attempt to recover costs from responsible party
• Documentation will be reviewed and possibly refuted, should the responsible party question the
RISC times.
• reduction of incident clearance times

RISC Program
• Incentive payments based on vendor promptness & accuracy
• Investigating officers: “Time Stamping” discrete events during incident response is extremely helpful.
• Arrival of RISC vendor on scene
• Notice to Proceed given
• Travel lanes and shoulders-(FDOT District 2 only) cleared

• Florida Highway Patrol
• The Florida Turnpike
• FDOT Motor Carrier Compliance
• Local Law Enforcement
• Local Fire and EMS agencies
• FDOT Districts
• Florida Independent Towing and Recovery
Association
• Professional Wreckers of Florida